ROANOKE, Va. – A new outpatient treatment facility aimed at helping those struggling with substance abuse is set to open next week on Peters Creek Road in Roanoke, marking another step forward in the city’s improving battle against drug addiction.
The Helping Everyone Make Improvements (H.E.M.I.) House, situated on a 27-acre property, will offer multiple treatment approaches including group therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and art or music therapy. The facility arrives as Roanoke shows significant progress in combating its long-standing drug crisis.
Recent data from the Roanoke Health District reveals a 20-35% decrease in drug overdose deaths in 2023, with preliminary 2024 and 2025 figures from Roanoke Fire-EMS indicating a continued decline in non-fatal overdoses. The city, which ranked second nationally for non-fatal opioid overdoses in April 2023, has now dropped out of the top 10 as of September 2024.
“I noticed a definite need in our community. A lot of people have fallen victim to overdoses, drug abuse and addiction,” said Bryan Thornhill, founder of H.E.M.I. House. The timing is crucial, as the region works to maintain its recovery from a devastating period when overdose deaths more than doubled between 2019 and 2022.
The facility plans to provide comprehensive support beyond traditional treatment, incorporating housing and work assistance programs for patients post-treatment. “The goal is to enable people for success beyond the program. Not just a certificate. We want to get them the skills needed, the resources needed, so they can progress through the community so they can truly experience sobriety properly,” Thornhill said.
For Thornhill, the initiative stems from personal experience. After losing a nephew to an overdose and witnessing family and friends struggle with addiction, he felt compelled to act. “I started digging to try and find how can I help? What can I do? So many people say they want change and say they want change, but I decided to put words into actions,” he explained.
Roanoke City Mayor Joe Cobb emphasized the importance of such initiatives, noting, “All of these challenges I alluded to are not uniquely city of Roanoke issues. All of us are facing these issues. So, to have us be partners in this work is absolutely critical.”
The improvements come after a particularly challenging period. In 2020, drug overdose deaths in Roanoke had jumped dramatically from 15 in 2019 to 51, largely driven by fentanyl and other illicit opioids.